St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1887-09-24
THE LEVEE QUESTION.
The Third Term--Abolishing Grand
Juries.
who VIC Should Nominate.
Speech of Judge E d White, Delivered
at the Pointe Coupee Nichols
Meeting, Sept. Fl.


see before me III this audience man
faces which ! have known almost frol
Doyhood- and l feel therefore, as If
we're at home among you. In dlsCusSln
the Issues which are involved in tn
present canvass for the Democrat
nomination to the goverDorship | de
sire to do so calmly, reasonably an
dlspassionately. Indeed, | know of Il
occasion where greater dellberatlo
should be exercised than in dlscussin
public questions. The decision of sucI
questions involves the veal of this dea
1ached by ties of birth, of association
of property and OF kindred. No MAJ
III matters Of such moment should sa,
anything with ievlty, or be willing t.
utter a sentiment tor which he is no
conscious of his responsibility to NAL
and to God. The first question which
arises is
Shall Governor NfcFnery be Renomi
mated?
say this is the first question because
his friends nave presented his name fol
denomination, and as he is the present
governor of the state with vast body
or otlCe-holdtrs appointed by him all
over the state, We meet the question of
the proprlcty of his denomination at
the very threshold. In the outset of
this canvass II was pointed out that his
i
the fundamental principles of our gov
ernment-wouid involve toe perpetual
ton OF the chief executive power for a
third term. The authorities and pre-
rodents to which you have been refer
red this morning make it clear that
from the foundation of the state gov
eminent opposition even to second
term has almost universally and at all
times prevailed.
You have also been shown that the
opinions OF the founders of the Demo-
cratic party were opposed to too long
Perpetuauon of the power of one man
In the chief executive Office. Indeed
tho principles upon which the founders
OF our government proceeded in their
opposition to the perpetuation of the
power OF one man III the chief executive
office for long period are self-evident.
me law OF change and rotation is the
law of life Itself. This very atmosphere
which l breathe, were it not cos
stantly changing, would be fatal to
you and to myself. II the air which is
being drawn into MY lungs as l speak
to y0u was not Constantly renewed. not
only would my voice not reach you, but
Heath itself would strike me.
The analogy obtains equally in in
animate nature. Some days since was
riding through a field OF cane along a
plantation road. Upon one side was |
cane lifting Itself high with a vigorous |!
growth; on the other side was d piece !
of cane, small and by 10 means So vigor- |
GUS. | asked the gentleman riding with |
me. directing his attention 10 the small |
cane, is that plant or stubbles" He
replied, 1t is plant cane" How"
said l, do you account for the fact, if |
1t be plant cane: that its growth is so
stunted ?" Why" said he, lit is sue
friends, in the political world constant
succession without rotation of the chief
executive leads to the destruction of
the powers of the government tor the
good of the people.
Now, although the principles and
authorities to which your attention has
been called have been frequently ad-
verified to IN this canvass as 1T has pro- |
crossed.
WHAT ANSWER HAS BEEN MADE
to them? l have heard none except
these two: That Governor McEnery
was elected the hrst time as lieutenant
governor, and became governor, there |
fore, not by elsctiou OF the people, but
in consequence of his successorship to
Governor Wilt, and that as the sue
cessor Of Governor WlltZ he really was {
executing Governor Wits policy and. /
therefore, AS 1t were, was simply acting t
for Governor Witt.
These views have been seriously |
urged. Let us examine them. Now,
fellow citizens, you will observe that Q
the whole theory upon which the OBJ i
propriety of TOO long an enjoyment of t
The chief executive power by one per- il
son. You Wall sec that The reasons which | a
make tue third term i'm possible address d
themselves not to the mode by which
the power has been obtained but to the W
act OF the power having been used. f,
The second answer is so puerile that | t.
hardly think it needs a reply. How D
;ouid Governor WilGz, who had been | D
'alled by the hand Of Providence from v
his life to the life beyond, be consid- III
red as still governing the statef &,
L have often seen written upon the fe
ON bstones of great men, although
lead, he speakcth," but this is the tirst
ime ever heard it pretended that, al %
Auugh an Illtlstrlous man had passed Az
rom the confines of mortality into "
he regions of Immortality, he still 20
to act vlcarlously through W
mother. Indeed, the proposition would 10
oIlow ns
GOVERNOR WILT pi
1to his grave and disturb his peace. "a
)r / venture to say that if, although is
cad and gone-l hope to his exceeding W.
reat reward-he is to be treated as re- If
oonsible for every act of Governor Nc IN
merry, done as his successor, he would W.
g disturbed in his rest In the world "a
eyond. nr
The policy of Governor Wilt was his ~,
0licy. When Governor McEnery sue he
,eded him in the cares of the office he NJ,
ecame responsible for the government an
which he was the executive head. | ~
i'd the burden OF that responsibility Ia.
Innot be shifted from the living to the ne
lad. r rs,
But let us see how inconsistent this !! tn,
intention is. When at the last con- an
i VIZ yh tn !
overnor McEnery what was the claim sio
,on which his denomination was
sed? His levee policy, his agricul- vic
raj policy. You will recollect how die
from one end of the state an
tho other 1T was declared that Gov an,
nor McEneTy should be renoninated ITO
cause Of his policy as governor of the the
tie, and as an Endorsement of that rec
hey. In other words when it was mi,
leht TO renoMlnate MIN AZ tne Iast, epo
INVENTION his acts as executive were the
'ated as his policy; now, when it is fro
j ght to nominate him for third term onI
3 claim is advanced that his policy | con
s not his policy at all, but the policy "
the deceased Governor WlltZ. pao
VIII sucA blowing not anu DioWlng rat
d have any effect upon the minds OF T
, people OF this slater thlnk not. inG
tut desire to call your attention to
,ther fact, which is this: However no
ious may be the ma,
OBJECTIONS TO THIRD TERM CAT
other communities and at other inv;
1913 IN this state, at this time all the stor
ections TO the third term acquire re- lan1
Lbted force because of the enormous h.sv
yer which The chief executive e1er- the
IS. Now with the wisdom OF I'M amt
dom of the legislation by which this was
at power is lodged ia the executive this
en- Ia | IHl q